6 Best Spinning Journals For Spinning Logs To Try
Track your fiber progress with our top 6 spinning journals. Discover the best logs to organize your drafts, twist angles, and yarn specs for better spinning.
Every spinner knows the frustration of creating a perfect, lofty singles yarn, only to realize months later that they have no idea how they achieved that specific twist angle. A dedicated spinning journal acts as your personal laboratory notebook, capturing the alchemy of fiber, tension, and drafting technique. By tracking these variables, you transform from a casual hobbyist into a deliberate crafter who can replicate your favorite yarns at will. Whether you are spinning for a specific sweater project or just exploring the unique characteristics of a new fleece, these logs are the tools that bridge the gap between intuition and mastery.
The Ashford Spinning Wheel Log: Best for Beginners
If you are just starting your journey, you don’t need a complex spreadsheet that tracks every milligram of fiber. The Ashford Spinning Wheel Log is designed to be approachable, focusing on the core essentials without overwhelming the new spinner.
It provides a clear, guided layout that prompts you to record the basics: fiber type, preparation method, and wheel ratio. This simplicity is its greatest strength, as it prevents the "blank page syndrome" that often stops beginners from documenting their early bobbins.
The downside is that it lacks space for deep technical notes or extensive fiber samples. However, if your goal is simply to build the habit of recording your sessions, this is the perfect entry point.
Spinners’ Record Book by Interweave: Best Overall
For the spinner who wants a balance of structure and freedom, the Interweave record book is the industry standard. It strikes a perfect chord by including pre-printed forms for technical data while leaving enough white space for personal reflections.
I appreciate that it includes sections for drafting techniques and plying methods, which are often overlooked in lesser journals. It is robust enough to handle years of spinning logs, making it a valuable reference library for your stash.
The only real trade-off is its size; it is a substantial book that isn’t exactly "toss-in-your-bag" portable. If you do most of your spinning in a dedicated studio space, this is the most comprehensive choice available.
The Fiber Artist’s Journal: Best for Organization
Organization is the hallmark of a master spinner, and this journal excels at keeping your projects categorized. It uses a tabbed system that allows you to easily flip between different fiber types, such as wool, silk, or plant-based bast fibers.
This is particularly useful if you are a "multi-tasker" who keeps three different bobbins spinning at once. You can quickly document a quick spin on a drop spindle and then jump to your wheel logs without losing your place.
While the organizational structure is top-tier, it requires a bit of discipline to maintain. If you aren’t the type to file things neatly, you might find the structure slightly restrictive compared to a blank notebook.
Spindle & Wheel Tracker: Best for Breed Details
Understanding the specific breed of sheep you are spinning is the secret to predicting how a yarn will behave in a finished garment. This tracker is unique because it emphasizes breed characteristics, such as staple length, crimp, and micron count.
If you are spinning a high-end Merino versus a rustic Icelandic fleece, this journal helps you log how those specific fibers responded to your drafting style. It helps you correlate the "feel" of the fiber with the resulting yarn’s durability and drape.
It is a specialized tool, perhaps overkill for someone spinning generic commercial top. However, for the fiber enthusiast who loves to geek out on sheep breeds, it is an essential companion.
The Handspinner’s Diary: Best for Project Notes
Sometimes, the spin is just the beginning of a larger creative process. This diary is designed for the spinner who is also a knitter, providing ample space to connect your handspun yarn to the final finished project.
You can document how much yarn you spun, how you finished it (steaming vs. washing), and eventually, how it performed when knitted up. This feedback loop is invaluable for learning how to spin specifically for a pattern’s gauge.
The trade-off is that it is less focused on the mechanical settings of your wheel. If you are more interested in the "art" side of spinning than the "engineering" side, this diary will be your favorite tool.
Custom Leather Spinning Log: Best for Durability
A spinning journal lives in the studio, where it is often exposed to stray bits of fiber, oil, and the occasional spilled cup of tea. A leather-bound log offers the kind of physical durability that paperbacks simply cannot match.
These journals often feature archival-quality paper, which is critical if you want your records to last for decades. There is a tactile satisfaction in opening a high-quality leather volume that makes the act of logging feel like a professional endeavor.
They are an investment, and they are generally heavier than standard journals. If you prefer a lightweight setup, you might find the weight of a leather-bound book to be a hindrance during travel.
Essential Data to Track in Your Spinning Journal
To make your journal truly useful, you must move beyond just writing down the color of the fiber. You should consistently record the following technical data points for every bobbin you spin:
- Fiber Source/Breed: Knowing the origin helps you identify your favorite fleeces.
- WPI (Wraps Per Inch): This is your primary metric for consistent yarn thickness.
- TPI (Twist Per Inch): Crucial for understanding if your yarn will be soft or durable.
- Preparation Method: Did you card it, comb it, or spin it from the fold?
- Wheel/Spindle Ratio: This dictates the speed of your twist insertion.
Why Keeping a Spinning Log Improves Your Drafting
When you don’t track your spinning, your drafting technique evolves by accident rather than by design. By logging your results, you can see if a specific "long draw" technique resulted in a more even yarn than a "short forward draw."
You will start to notice patterns, such as realizing that you tend to over-twist when you are tired or spinning late at night. This awareness allows you to make micro-adjustments to your posture and tension, leading to more professional-looking yarn.
Ultimately, a log turns your spinning sessions into a series of experiments. You stop just "making yarn" and start "engineering fiber" to suit your specific knitting needs.
How to Archive Your Fiber Samples and Swatches
A spinning journal is incomplete without a physical representation of the work. I always recommend taping a small "lock" of the raw fiber and a few inches of the finished, set yarn into the margin of your log.
If you have enough yarn, knit a small 2-inch square swatch to see how the twist behaves in knitted fabric. This is the only way to truly understand how your handspun will look once it is off the bobbin and on the needles.
Use acid-free tape or small glassine envelopes to keep these samples secure. Over time, this becomes a tactile reference library that helps you choose the perfect yarn for future knitting projects.
Digital vs. Physical Logs: Which Works Best?
Digital apps and spreadsheets offer the advantage of searchability and easy data visualization. You can quickly filter for all the projects where you used a specific wheel ratio, which is a massive time-saver.
However, physical journals have a "studio-friendly" quality that digital devices lack. You don’t have to worry about greasy fingers on a touchscreen, and there is no risk of losing your data to a software update or a dead battery.
Most successful spinners I know use a hybrid approach: they keep a physical log on their spinning table for real-time notes and occasionally transcribe the highlights into a digital database. Choose the method that you are actually likely to use consistently.
Consistency is the only true secret to improving your craft, and a spinning log is the most effective way to ensure that consistency. By documenting your successes and your mistakes, you create a roadmap that guides your future projects toward perfection. Don’t worry about making your journal look beautiful; focus instead on making it honest and accurate. Your future self, struggling to remember how you achieved that perfect lace-weight yarn, will thank you for every entry you make today.
